


My Best Friends Are Their Own Boyfriends

by The5am1am



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Awkward Flirting, Developing Relationship, F/M, Flirting, Friendship, Late Night Conversations, M/M, Male-Female Friendship, Marauders Era (Harry Potter), Multi, POV Original Character, POV Third Person Limited, Slow Burn, There will be more tags
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-07
Updated: 2019-06-13
Packaged: 2020-04-12 11:28:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,249
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19131124
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The5am1am/pseuds/The5am1am
Summary: According to some people, I don't exist.Now, I know what you're thinking; "A fifth Marauder? No way. That can't possibly be true. Look at all this evidence!" But see, here's the thing; I was a secret.Let me tell you what really happened...ORThe one where there's a girl marauder no one knew about, and this is how their school years "actually" happened.





	1. Ruth Introduces Herself

**Author's Note:**

> Hey so, first story here. Used to do Wattpad. We'll see where this goes. It might end up being more of a collection of one shots than an actual story, but we'll see. 
> 
> This story is based on [this](https://paddfoot.co.vu/post/163049885662/being-best-friends-with-the-marauders-would) post.
> 
> Unbeta'd, all mistakes are mine and mine alone. I do not own these people, they belong to JKR. Also, the title is based off of the first line of "rap" in T Swift's "Shake It Off." I was trying to remember how it went at work and I remembered "My best friend has a new boyfriend" and the actual lyrics are "My ex-man brought his new girlfriend" and so anyway, the title is what spawned out of that. So.
> 
> For now, this is all you get... I've got a lot going on, but I'm gonna do my best to get stuff rolling soon. More to come!
> 
> Don't be afraid to let me know what you think!

According to some people, I don't exist.

Now, I know what you're thinking; "A fifth Marauder? No way. That can't possibly be true. Look at all this evidence!" But see, here's the thing; I was a secret. 

There are reasons why, and you'll understand eventually, but the main thing is this; I was their friend. I swear.

The Marauder's Map is your biggest piece of evidence against this, yes? But its mine, too. You know the Marauder that the map belongs to? (See: The MaraudeR'S Map - you see where that apostrophe is?) They're referring to me. 

Oh, I have my own nickname. I am as much a part of them as Pete was before he defected. But you wouldn't know that, now would you? That crazy lady who wrote James' kid's biography didn't bother researching us very well, now did she?

Let me tell you what really happened...

 

This will be updated later. Possibly. Probably. Maybe.


	2. Ruth Goes to Hogwarts

If there was one thing Ruth Williams hated more than anything, it was magic.

At least, that's what she told herself as she blinked in the bright morning light on the first day of September 1971. Two months ago, Ruth had learned she was a witch when an owl had swooped in through the open kitchen window and plonked a parchment envelope right in front of her sausage. It had landed so perfectly and rested just up against the rim of the plate that it looked as though a butler had placed it there. If the owl hadn't taken one of her pancakes, she may have been able to convince herself that it was Mother's doing.

Once everyone had calmed down and the windows had been shut, Ruth had opened her letter, and that was the end of her magic-less life. Of course, that wasn't exactly true. She had wondered about magic before when weird things happened to her. Like the time she forgot to hand in her homework and got back a sheet with her name and a 100%, or when she jumped off the top of the slide with a blanket parachute and seemed to glide for a bit before landing gently, or, most recently, when she forgot to clean her room and was in for a real bruising, came home to find everything in its place and all the trash away and the dishes clean and stacked on the desk. But once she knew she was an honest-to-God witch, that was it.

Oh, the ruckus her brother swept up. He was older, now a teenager, he said. Why didn't he get the fancy owl letter first? And her little sister, barely 4, wouldn't let the poor kneazle kitten alone. Ruth loved magic. It was taking her away from this mess of a family she was stuck with.

With that thought in mind, Ruth sprung out of bed. "Mother!" She hollered, startling Garius, the kitten, off of her bed with an angry hiss. “Sorry, Gay. Mother!” Ruth danced across the room, hopping over books and robes and school supplies. Reaching the door, she yanked it open, and, “Moth- oh,” came face to face with whom she sought. And she didn’t look too happy.

“Ruth Anna Williams, have you any idea what time it is?” The stern glare her mother fixed her with was enough to quell most of the excitement currently flooding her veins. Even though her mother was wearing bunny slippers and an oversized, fluffy dressing gown. The Crossed Arms and Raised Eyebrows were enough to instill fear in the hearts of men.

“Er, no?” she grinned sheepishly and took a step back inside her room to look at the clock on the dresser. She winced.

  _6:13 am_

The clock blinked cheerily at her, signaling just how early she had accidentally woken her mother. They weren’t supposed to get up until 7. Ruth looked back up at her mother and adopted the trademark puppy dog eyes that she thought may help her case. “I’m sorry?”

Her mother rolled her eyes. She glanced past Ruth and took in the state of her room. “Why don’t you use this extra time to finish packing as I asked you two days ago?”  
Ruth winced again. “Okay, Mother.”

“And no more yelling. Your siblings are giving you enough hell as it is.”

Ruth nodded obediently and stepped back, shutting the door. She turned around to find an angry kneazle, a mess, and an empty trunk.

-:-:-:-:-

An hour and twelve minutes later, Ruth stepped back from her trunk with a satisfied dusting off her hands. All of her school things and a few of her favorite outfits had been packed away neatly and in careful piles. She had bought the trunk at Diagon Alley, and it had promised that none of her things would topple over in transit. The trunk was full, but not bursting, and she looked around to make sure she wasn't forgetting anything. Pleased with her packing job, she shut and locked the trunk, leaving it for her father to carry to the car.

After one more cursory glance around the room, she grabbed the kitten and left her room, bounding down the stairs to breakfast. She dropped into a chair next to her brother. Avery sneered at her and flapped his hand in her direction.

“Do you have to bring that mangy old thing to the table? It’s repugnant,” he sniffed, batting Garius’ paw off the tablecloth.

“I don't even know what that means. And anyway, he’s only four months old. That’s _hardly_ old. Or mangy. And he has to eat, too. Don’t you, Gay? Yes, you do, there’s a good boy,” Ruth cooed, dangling a bit of breakfast sausage in the kitten’s face. The cat reached up and batted it out of her hand, sending it flying onto the floor. Garius hastily flipped himself over and scrambled off of Ruth’s lap, leaving her giggling and slightly disappointed.

“Good riddance. And you should know that one, I just told you two days ago. You need to proliferate your constitutional dictionary.” As he said this, he spread his arms and then used one finger to tap his temple. Ruth just stared blankly at him.

“Profiligrate!” They both snapped their heads around and saw their sister toddle into the room, holding a squirming kitten and attempting to shove a doll hat on its head. Angela looked up at them with big eyes. “Did I say it righ’?” Avery and Ruth glanced at each other.

“Uh, almost, Angie. It’s pro-lif-er-ate. It means to expand rapidly. Get big fast.” He added, when there was no recognition in her eyes at his first definition. She nodded then, her eyes still huge and serious.

“Pro-lif-er-ate,” she said, sounding it out. Avery adopted a smug look and smirked at Ruth, who stuck her tongue out at him and went back to eating. As such, she didn’t see her dad walk into the room a minute later.

“You kids need to hurry up and finish your breakfast, or we’re going to be late. That means you, too, little bean,” he said, scooping up Angela and plucking Garius out of her grasp, placing him on the floor. He promptly scurried up to Ruth’s room, where he always went to hide after being scandalized.

Mother entered from the kitchen just as Dad was placing the youngest in her booster seat. Once they were all seated, the food was quickly demolished. In 45 minutes, they were all fed, cleaned up, and packed into the car. Garius was held securely in Ruth’s arms - he hated car rides - and the two oldest were separated by Angela’s car seat. A two and a half hour car ride later, and everyone was very ready to be there.

The family piled out of the car and Avery ran to grab a trolley, pulling it over for Dad to put the trunk on. Ruth opened it a little, peeking inside. Her things were all still standing in their piles, as neat and orderly as they were three hours ago. She grinned and shut it tight.

“Alright, gang, let’s get going. We have twenty minutes to get Ruthie on that train.” Ruth grinned even brighter and gripped the side of the trolley, Avery doing the same on the other side and Angela sitting on top. Her dad pushed, and her mother walked alongside him, holding his sleeve and helping him navigate the crowds. They walked along, slowly getting closer and closer to the barrier between platforms 9 and 10.

“Now, how do we do this again? Ruth, got your letter handy?” Dad looked over at her, and she pulled it out. A moment later, she screwed up her face.

“It doesn't say how to get in, just where it is. That’s odd.” She furrowed her brow even more, flipping pages over and generally looking confused. “What do we do now?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's short. I've got a butt ton of work and such. Hope you enjoy! I'll post as frequently as possible.


	3. Ruth Makes a Friend

After a moment, they heard a small commotion. Ruth turned around and saw a tall, pale man, a few years older than herself, striding towards them. He was dressed in sophisticated dress clothes, and wore his white-blond hair long and loose and back from his face. Trailing behind him was an older couple, equally as fancy and with hair as long as his. Struggling along behind was a bewildered looking train employee, pushing a trolley with a trunk on that was largely obstructing him from sight. 

 

Ruth looked him over as he approached. He had the air of someone who knew what they were doing was probably not a good thing, but didn’t care. He was almost definitely a wizard, as his clothes looked like they were a hundred years out of style, and way too expensive. He was also wearing a shiny pin with a large gold P emboldened by an emerald green background.

 

“Well they’re certainly a sight,” breathed Mother, and Ruth wholeheartedly agreed. The whole family edged out of the way as the newcomers boldly approached the barrier wall. 

 

The young man paused, turned his head slightly, and looked Ruth over. She was, in fact, already in uniform, other than her robes. The man sniffed and said, quite loudly, “it's a Mudblood. Leave her to the wolves.” 

 

The older man, who honestly looked every bit the elder of the young man, who must have been his son, strode up to him. “Lucius, get your trolley. We don’t have time to waste dawdling around staring at the animals.” Lucius smirked, and, Ruth thought, quite evilly. 

 

Before Mr. or Mrs. Williams could react to that statement, the man, Lucius, flicked his hair around and spun to grab the cart. With a subtle flick of his wrist, he had the man pushing it relaxing into a stupor and blindly stumbling away. Lucius promptly whipped around, and in the hustle and bustle of the morning crowd, shoved his trolley at a purposeful stride straight into the barrier. 

 

And disappeared. 

 

Before Mother could even gasp, the couple had followed him straight into the wall and disappeared themselves. Ruth was astonished. How had that happened?

 

“Well!” Dad pushed his black hair away from his forehead and gave a low whistle. 

 

“I guess you just run into the wall then,” Avery said, slowly turning to look at Ruth. She could see the questions and excitement in his eyes over the trunk. 

 

“That’s certainly right, young man. You’ve got a smart one, there, sir. The name’s Fleamont Potter. You all must be Muggles!” A jolly, older man with bronzed skin came up to Dad, shaking his hand jovially and greeting them all with smiles. A wizened woman with hair as gray and skin as tan as her husband’s stood behind Fleamont, and a boy around Ruth’s age with wild black hair poked his head around the woman’s side. He was just as dark as they but looked young enough to be their grandchild. 

 

“Allow me to introduce my family! This is my wife Euphemia, and my son James. He’s starting at Hogwarts this year. I assume you are, as well, young lady?” He bent down and held out his hand to Ruth. 

 

“Yep, I’m Ruth and I’m a witch.” She reached her hand out and firmly grasped his, giving it a shake. He laughed, a booming thing that had Angela looking startled and Avery suppressing a snort with his fist. 

 

“Well that you are, Ruth. And your family?” He stood straight and looked around at them, still grinning. 

 

“I’m Kenneth Williams, this is my wife Carolyn, and my children Avery, you’ve met Ruth, and Angela,” Dad said, gesturing to each in turn. 

 

“You have a lovely family, Kenneth. I’m happy to meet you all. Please, let me help you onto Platform 9 ¾. It’s quite simple, really. Just know that it is there, and walk into the wall. It helps if you go at a run,” he added with a wink. Avery perked up.

 

“I’m going first!” He yelled, then backed up a few paces, and ran headlong straight at the wall. Sure enough, in no time, he was gone. Ruth’s jaw dropped.

 

“You ready to go?” Came a strong, boyish voice. Ruth looked over, where a dark hand was being held out to her. She looked further up and saw the face of a smug looking James. She grinned back and grasped his hand in hers.

 

“Let’s do it,” she said, and they turned and ran at the same time.

 

A moment later, Ruth opened eyes she hadn’t realized she closed, and gasped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's even shorter but this is where the chapter needed to end. "Cliffhangers," you know?
> 
> Much love :)


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